Thai-Style Braised Pork Cheeks

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork cheeks
• 2/3 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/3 cup rice wine
• 1 ounce palm sugar
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 to 6 bird's eye chilies
• To Garnish:
• Freshly cut herbs, such as thai basil, cilantro, or scallions
• Fried shallots
• Toasted shredded coconut

Directions

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 300 degrees F. Put the cheeks in a pot or braising pan, arranging them so they spread across the bottom in one layer. Pour in enough water to come halfway up the meat, then add the soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine, sugar, cinnamon, and chilis.
2. Bring everything to a boil on the stove, then lower the heat so it settles into a simmer. Cover the pot securely with a snug lid or aluminum foil, move it to the oven, and braise until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours.
3. Remove the excess fat from the braising liquid by skimming it away, or chill the meat in the liquid so the fat firms up on top. Lift the meat out of the liquid and carefully pull it into bite-sized pieces, since it will be quite soft.
4. Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan and simmer it until it has reduced to about 1/3 cup. It should look thick, glossy, and syrupy. Add the meat back to the sauce and warm it through. Serve right away with herbs and fried shallots over the top, with rice alongside.